Unvaccinated dog euthanized

Morganton (GA) – The second case of rabies in Fannin County this year was confirmed late yesterday afternoon in a raccoon that had attacked a dog in its pen in Morganton.

An employee of the Appalachian Animal Hospital in Ellijay called the Fannin County Environmental Health office on Monday, April 6, to report that a Morganton resident, living on Old Highway 76 near Loving Road, had found the raccoon in the pen at the residence at around 7 A.M. on Saturday, April 4. The raccoon escaped the pen, but the resident shot it and immediately brought the body to the animal hospital.

The owner discovered the dog had received a scratch on its nose.

A Fannin County Environmental Health official picked up the raccoon on Monday and shipped the specimen to the Georgia Public Health Laboratory for rabies testing.

The following day, Tuesday, April 7, the lab reported the test results were positive for rabies.

Because the dog was not current on its rabies vaccination, the owner had it euthanized later that evening.

No human exposure was reported.

Fannin County Environmental Health officials will be canvassing the immediate area of the incident today with alert notification flyers.

Officials continue to urge residents to maintain rabies vaccinations in their pets to guard against the deadly disease.

More information about rabies and its prevention is available at the Fannin County Environmental Health office. Call (706) 632-3024. Or, log on to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website at www.cdc.gov/features/rabiessafefamily.